COURSE IN MIRACLES: Based On The Original Handwritten Notes Of Helen Schucman--Complete & Annotated Edition Hardcover – 20 January 2017

In my view this edition is most valuable for it treats the reader as a mature individual, who can access the entire original literature and uncover all features of the Course. The earlier edition of the Course, though also very valuable, omitted explicit and personal references, giving the wrong impression that these were alien to the Course. Such references, as I see them, are very significant for they provide an answer to some of the main questions I still had about the Course. Thank you to all those who have made this edition possible.

Over 20 years ago I bought the "traditional" (Foundation for Inner Peace) edition of ACIM. I have attempted to read it many times over the years and always failed because of the difficult language, lack of practical real-world examples, and unexplained principles which only left me feeling confused.Earlier this year I heard about this new edition - unlike the FIP version which was edited many times with each edit based on only the previous version, this was taken DIRECTLY from Helen Schucman's handwritten notes and edited with great care and attention for a world which is quite different to the one when the FIP edition was published. I downloaded the Kindle edition, and after reading the first few chapters, along with the detailed footnotes and 'cameo' essays (in the back of the book), it all suddenly started to make sense. It became a practical everyday guide, rather than an unintelligible intellectual exercise. In short, it changed everything. I ordered the hardback within a few days and have used it every day since. It is worth every penny, despite the fairly hefty price!If you buy this book, you can go the circleofa.org website and enter your purchase details to get an email which includes a PDF/printable reading schedule and various supporting videos. The reading schedule is superb, breaking the Text, along with the relevant cameo essays, into daily manageable sections (over 365 days) which guide you through the curriculum as it was intended. I really appreciate how much love and effort has gone into this edition, which I believe was over a decade in the making.There is also a podcast which accompanies this edition - [edited to update name] Exploring A Course in Miracle, and is hosted by Emily Bennington and Robert Perry (the lead editor of this edition). It's a fantastic resource for any student of the Course, and is based on this edition and a range of incredible articles by Robert and the Circle of Atonement. You can find that on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google, and probably other places too. Definitely worth a listen!

Likes: Well-researched. And I mean WELL. Attention to detail and the completion of its mission are spectacular. The return to Helen's original notes was a long-time coming. In this form, ACIM becomes a much more personal and intimate experience. The background research and documentation place it above simply a how-to of raising our Spiritual level to its Truth. ACIM, from its origins as mimeograph to three-volume set to it's more familiar one-volume form released by the dedicated folks at Foundation for Inner Peace, has made its mark as a sensible, logical exploration into the reality of Who We Are as God Created Us. Now we are taken to the next level of understanding by the remarkable scholarship of Robert Perry and his team at Circle of Atonement. The copious footnotes bring insight to those who wish to gather more on the story told, especially the notes about how the addition of content originally not included in the FIP version rounds out our understanding. The "cameos", essays which gather background and place them in context at certain points in the gathering of The Course by Helen and Bill, bring events together for the first time, providing more points of reference.Dislikes: It's big and heavy. The page numbers don't match up. All those years I spent memorizing beautifully poetic passages. And it doesn't fit the wonderful book caddy I have carried the Blue Book for all those aforementioned years. And I wouldn't trade any of that for a dream in which this amazing piece of scholarship didn't exist. And I found another zipper bag to carry Purple around in, so I have eluded tragedy's dark shadow.Mr. Perry's accomplishment under Spirit's guidance has given us a gift we were 50 years in preparation for. Clearer paths can bring no more blessing than this.

It has helped me heal my life in ways I never thought possible, and it continues to teach me each and every day. I have all the different editions and, without a doubt, the new A Course in Miracles Complete & Annotated Edition, published earlier this year by Circle of Atonement, is the easiest of all the different editions to study and understand.It is based on Helen Schucman’s handwritten notes.• The other editions of A Course in Miracles (ACIM) have been edited to various degrees and the Complete & Annotated Edition gets you back to what was originally in Helen’s notes.It is organized extremely well.• It begins with a 28-page, easy-to-read, Table of Contents.• The page numbering goes through the entire book. It doesn’t start over at the Workbook or Manual for Teachers. This is so helpful, I can’t even begin to tell you!• The Workbook Lessons are formatted so that you can effortlessly glance at the current lesson throughout the day and see the main exercises and applications. Many days, I keep my book open to the lesson to take a quick peak whenever I pass by. I can do this so easily because of the formatting.• The Text contains innumerable, valuable footnotes that help to put it into context with the Bible and other historical references as well as clarify potentially confusing content.• The formatting of both the Manual for Teachers and Clarification of Terms make them extremely user-friendly. These two documents also include countless, useful footnotes.There are a number of introductory sections that are beneficial to the new ACIM student.For, example, the section “What is ‘A Course in Miracles?’” provides a concise and easy-to-follow history of how it came to be, how it is organized, and briefly what it teaches.Appendix I is delightful with its 33 Cameo Essays covering general topics found in ACIM. Written by the editor Robert Perry, these come together to create a book within the book. They bring Helen and William Thetford to life and, to me, make ACIM in its entirety more real.Appendix II presents an exploration of the history of the many ACIM editions and this brings everything into perspective as to why this new edition was necessary and what all went into its creation.Also included is a straightforward and complete glossary.If you are new to ACIM or have struggled to get into it in the past, I would highly recommend you give this new edition a try!

I thoroughly recommend anyone who has studied A Course In Miracles, but who hasn't seen this new edition to get this one.There is so much in this edition that was edited out of the FIP editions, and so much more, that the experience is so much richer. The footnotes, the additional cameo articles that show how Helen and Bill put the principles of the Course into practice, and the additional material that has never been published before make this a truly wonderful experience. An extra 45 000 words, that provide much more depth to these incredible teachings.The Circle of Atonement, with Robert Perry as the lead teacher, has provided a wonderful edition of this book. Robert has worked with the Course for around forty years, and his depth of understanding and gentle teaching style makes studying the Course a never ending treasure.For those who have never read the original editions I would also recommend you begin with this.I would give it a million stars if I could!